1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an apparatus for assisting woman who shave their legs in the shower or bath. More particularly, the present invention comprises a portable footrest for use in the bath, which can be temporarily attached to the wall of the shower or bath.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.97-1.99
Most women in the United States shave their legs as the preferred means for removing hair from them. Most of these women shave their legs while bathing or showering. This task is normally tedious and awkward, as it requires bending sharply at the waist and limits visibility because it is not easy to get close enough to the legs to see them well or to manipulate the razor with great dexterity. This increases the likelihood of cutting or nicking the legs with a razor and is therefore frequently regarded as an unpleasant chore.
Further, many elderly and handicapped women find that shaving their legs is not only an unpleasant chore, but it can be dangerous. This is especially the case with women who nave an impaired sense of balance.
A related problem is that women want their shaving utensils readily at hand but typically would rather not simply leave them on the side of the bathtub in plain sight. Showers typically have no place to store shaving and other hygiene appliances. Sometimes these items are stored in plastic net bags or shelves that hang from the neck of the shower pipe. These solutions, however, are not entirely satisfactory because they slip down the neck of the shower pipe or swing from side to side as contents are removed or added, disturbing the balance of the device and frequently spilling its contents onto the floor.
The use of a surface above the floor of the shower or tub to rest the foot on, thereby bending the leg at the knee and raising the foot and leg facilitates shaving the legs. Many women use the side of a bathtub for this purpose, but the rim or top surface of a bathtub is narrow, and very slippery, making this practice somewhat hazards and therefore requiring concentration on safety and less on the task of shaving. Naturally, most showers have no similar elevated surface to rest the foot on, particularly in institutional settings, such as dormitories. A search of the related art at the Public Search Room of the United States Patent and Trademark Office did not reveal any devices directed to this particularly feminine problem.
Of course, there are other occasions when either men or women wish to elevate one foot for one reason or another and this need has lead to a number of issued United States Patents, some of which are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,478, issued to Sullivan on Jul. 31, 1990 (Sullivan '478) discloses a "Portable Grab Bar" for use in a shower and the like that is attached to a flat smooth surface by suction cups. The suction cups include vacuum pumps that can be used to restore the vacuum in the suction cups if they begin to leak during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,448, issued to Cairo on Dec. 25, 1984 Cairo '448), discloses a "Foot Support For Showers" comprising a four-legged stool having a top sculpted into the shape of the bottom of a foot. The stool sits on the floor of the shower and is supported by its legs. The bottom end of each leg includes a suction cup or other non-slip foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,180, issued to Martin on Jan. 30, 1973 (Martin '180), discloses a "Foot Support for Shower Baths" comprising a footrest member covered with a resilient arched upper surface. The footrest is attached to an arm or bracket that is fixed to the shower wall by screws or the like. The arm holds the footrest away from the wall. The arm or bracket conveniently folds to move the footrest out of the way when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,069, issued to Jorgensen et al. on Mar. 4, 1958 (Jorgensen et al. '069), discloses a "Headrest for Use in a Bathtub" comprising a suction cup for attaching the headrest to a wall of a bathtub. This suction cup is attached by a ball and socket joint to a pair of arms leading to two suction cups similar to the attachment suction cup and also attached to the arms by ball and socket joints. These two suction cups cradle the user's head.
Design U.S. Pat. No. 170,853, issued to Dunham on Nov. 17, 1953 (Dunham Des. '853), discloses a "Shower Footrest" comprising a three-legged stool with a horizontally disposed cylindrical footrest attached to the tops of the legs. The stool rests on the floor of the shower and is supported by its legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,434, issued to Hoverder on Jun. 19, 1951 (Hoverder '434), discloses a "Supporting Fixture" comprising a unitary shelf and support bracket that is attached to a wall by a pair of suction cups. The holding power of the suction cups is augmented by different types of adhesives that glue the suction cups to the wall in various types of usage. Thus, Hoverder actually discloses a permanently installed shelf.
Use of suction cups for temporary or permanent support of a shelf (Hoverder '434), grab bar (Sullivan '478), stool (Cairo '448) are shown in the references discussed above. Also shown specifically is the use of suction cups to secure a bar in a shower (Sullivan '478) or bathtub (Jorgensen et al. '069). A shower foot support or stool is also disclosed in the references discussed above (Dunham Des. '853; Cairo '448). A footrest attached to the wall of a shower by permanent mechanical fasteners is disclosed in Martin '180. Also disclosed is the use of a ribbed non-slip surface on the footrest (Dunham Des. '853).
None of these references, however, discloses a footrest that can be attached to the shower wall temporarily and then removed from the tub or shower entirely for storage. Also not shown is the use of suction cups to attach the temporary use footrest to the shower, the specific structure of the suction cups which allows them to be easily attached to the footrest itself.
Accordingly there is a need for a lady's portable footrest for use in the shower that is readily installed for temporary use and then easily removed for easy storage; that will not mare shower walls or bathtubs; that provides a secure surface for resting the foot on; that provides an arcuate upper surface that approximately matches the natural curve of the arch of the foot for comfort and safety; that includes a non-skid surface for safety and comfort; that can be easily installed at any convenient height for a particular user; that is light-weight and durable; that will not accumulate water; that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture; and that provides a means for conveniently storing small shaving items and the like.
The present invention eliminates these problems and provides the additional benefit of not restricting the space available in the shower or bath when the woman is not shaving.